


No Exceptions

by Val_Creative



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Blood, Comfort, Family, Gen, Panic Attack, Season 1, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 13:04:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/pseuds/Val_Creative
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The plugged sink water muddied to a chalky gray color as Robin scrubbed his face, scrubbed hard, hard, and he choked on the scalding water.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Exceptions

.

 

That explosion… that explosion should have torn his face clean off. Melted his face off. It should have—even with Batman swooping in to save him those last few seconds from a fiery death inside that courthouse. The high temperature from it gave Robin lasting effects, making the somewhat peeling skin on his cheeks and his temples sting and itch…crawl and itch.

( _"There weren't any traces of atomic residue from the bomb's explosion nor were there anything unusual about the readings, you'll be fine," and Batman doesn't lie to him, he never lies)_

Robin supposed that Two-Face was hoping to high Hell that it would have destroyed part of him for the very least. And, of course… with Batman distracted, he got away.

Now they would have to track him all over again.

( _"If you had been more careful this wouldn't have happened,"_ _and Batman's cowl does not mask the obvious disappointment… no… don't…please_ )

They would have to start over again.

( _"I expected better from you…", and Robin's skin started itching, itching, itching, and he sat on his hands quietly until they pulled the Cave's parking entrance)_

He was stupid, stupid _, stupid_ …

Robin's bare, long and pale fingers were twitching into his palms when he entered the bathroom. The long mirror showed where his once spotless and bright uniform and cape had been dirtied from the mission. Nothing singed. Flame-resistant clothing was useful. At least something had been useful. Robin reached up or his eye mask, feeling along for the adhesive edges. A procedure that should have taken only mere moments to finish progressed into terror as Robin's fingers scrambled for purchase.

Not coming off, not coming off _, not coming off_ …

The plugged sink water muddied to a chalky gray color as Robin scrubbed his face, scrubbed hard, hard ( _stinging, itching_ ) and as he choked on the scalding water spouting from the faucet head ( _and it burned, it burned into his gasping mouth and into his nose_ ) as he continued scrubbing to get at his eyes. Dampened and heavy with the water, the mask slid down on one side, and Robin ripped the remainder of it from his face, rasping out a short, pained scream when the right side clung to him.

He wiped the cloudy steam from the mirror with his uniform's sleeve to see his magenta-flushing face and his own dilated blue eyes. The lines of grime and purpled scabs circling around the outside of his eyes and the bridge of his nose _perfectly_ shaped the outline of his mask. Terror instead clenched the walls of his throat.

No, no _, no_ …

Robin's fingers scrambled once again on his own face, digging into the marks, digging into the scabs to remove them. ( _It hurt… why… itching… not coming off…)_ Fresh blood trickled onto the beds of his nails. School. Chem test. Wally. M'gann. Supes. Kaldur. Artemis. Secret identity. Rules. _No exceptions_.

They will know, they will know _, they will know_ …

Robin froze up when he was spun around in place and his twitching hands were snatched from him and held between two very tensed, _very large_ hands.

"No one will know," and Batman's scarred, pale hands squeezed, smudging with Robin's blood, as he murmured calmly, "Dick… …you are okay…"

( _And Batman doesn't lie to him, he never lies_ …)

 

.


End file.
